Clip-tag.



A. T. VAN ALSTYN.

CLIP TAG.

APPLICATION FILED Nov,12. 1914.

Patented May 15, 1917.

'maman srarne rarrr me.

ALBERT T. VAN ALSTYN, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLIP-TAG.

Application filed November 12, 1914.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALBERT T. VAN ALsTYN, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clip-Tags, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to a marking clip or tag for use on cloth and the like and more specifically pertains to that class of tag known as clip-tag, or pin-ticket.

One of the important features of my present device is that it is so constructed as to be readily and quickly applied to the goods or fabric which it is to identify, and after aiiixing, the tag automatically engages the goods and cannot become loosened or lost, except through tearing of the goods or 'fabric to which it is attached, or by the destruction of the tag itself.

Another important feature of my device is that embodied in the method of forming and mounting the spring clip portion on the tag or marker portion whereby the goods-engaging points are so arranged as to be in position for immediate engagement with any article to which it is adapted to be engaged, and at the same time it is impossible for the goods-engaging points of the spring clip to prick the ngers, which is a common fault with many of clip tags of this type, owing to the fact that the points, in their operative position, are turned inwardly toward the tag portion.

Another advantage of my device, in consequence of the simplicity of the pin portion of the tag or ticket as well as the method by which the said pin portion of the ticket is afterward assembled to form a unitary structure, is that my device may mbe manufactured and assembled in large quantities by automatic machines, thereby greatly cheapening the cost of this class of goods.

Another distinct improvement in my device is that the engaging clips thereof are caused to engage the fabric to which they are to be applied lwithout cutting or tearing the fabric in any manner. f

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective rear elevation of the complete clip-tag, Fig. 2 is a perspective rear elevation of the goods engaging clip, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the tag portion before folding and cementing, Fig. l is a side elevation of the device partly assembled, Fig. 5 shows Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented May i5, i917.

semi No. 871,660.

another step in the manner of assembly, Fig. 6 is a side elevation showingthe manner of engagement of the tag, Fig. 7 is a perspective front elevation with a portion of the tag broken away and Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the'completed tag showing the method of point concealment.

My device is shown as comprising a tag or symbol-bearing member l, preferably of cardboard or similar material, and as dis closed in Fig. 3, is of substantially rectangular outline having two perforations 2 and 3 located therein near the point of scoring or folding A-A, and a convoluted two pointed wire clip 4. which is made from a single wire. As may be seen by referring to Fig. 2, the clip comprises what may be termed a tension member 5 located between the two integral hooks 6 and 7. The side elevation of the clip before being placed under tension shows the same to be substantially elliptical in outline as may be ascertained in Fig. 4. The tension member or opposing leg 5 is formed by the wire being bent upon itself as at B, then two arms c, CZ, are bent transversely at right angles to the tension member 5, Fig. 2 and are then formed into arcuate bends 8, 9, the same terminating in two downwardly depending straight legs l0, 11 having goods-engaging pointed hooks 6, 7 thereon. The hooks are inwardly and upwardly turned toward the tension member 5, thereby completing the link like side conformation above noted.

The symbol bearing member l, Fig. 3, while there shown as being rectangular in outline, may be of any ornamental form desired, andthe perforated folding axis A-A may also be located at will, providing that enough material be left on either side of the said aXis or scoring point A-A to permit of its being folded back on itself and at the same time fully cover the full length of the tension member 5.

ln assembling my device the tag or symbol bearing member l is bent at the scored point A-A thus bringing the perforations 2 and 3 into the symbol face c, Fig. 1i, of the member l, the hook portions 6 and 7 of the clip are then simultaneously introduced into their respective perforations 2 and 8, which perforations are spaced apart on the tag to suit the distance between the legs l() and ll. The clip is then forced downwardly until it is seated by its arcuate shoulders 8 and 9 on, the lower edges of the perforations 2 and 8, Fig. 5, and the Lipper member' d of the tag l is then folded backward in the direction of the arrow 12 until both surfaces 13 and 14 of the tag l are in contact. These last noted surfaces are coated with a suitable gum or other adhesive and are thereby operatively held in desired contact, and at the same time locking the tension member 5 therebetweemas indicated in Fig. '7, wherein a portion of the tag l is broken away to show the tension member 5 in its confined operative position.

The hooks or goods-engaging members 6 and 7 are then in operative position to instantly engage any article that can be punctured by them, by insertion between them and the portion C of the tag l.

By referring to Fig. 5, or Fig. G, which is a side elevation of my complete device, having a fabric F engaged therein, or Fig. 8, which is a similar View without the fabric, it will be noted that the wire clip 4 has been strained by its location upon the tag, the two hooks, 6 and 7 being forced out of normal parallelism with the tension member 5, thereby creating a constantly exerted inward tendency of the said hooks and hook points toward the surface C of the tag l. It is evident that this clasping tension of the hooks causes them to automatically engage and puncture any puncturable material of any thickness within the flexing limits of the wire clip, and will also permit the positive engagement of many materials which the hooks cannot penetrate, said engagement being automatic, and not requiring any extraneous pressure to afix them.

l claim:

1. In a clip-tag, the combination with a pasteboard ticket folded over upon itself thereby forming two portions, there being perforations in one of said portions, of a wire clip composed of a single piece of wire, bent upon itself to form a tension arm, the end portions being bent outwardly at right angles from said tension arm in opposite directions to form shoulders, the arm and said shoulders forming the body of the clip, the wire at the outer ends of said shoulders being first bent to form arcuate bends looping outwardly away from the free end of said tension arm and then bent to form hook arms extending parallel to said tension arm, the ends of the wire at the free ends of said hook arms being` bent into hooks, the points of said hooks lying substantially in the plane of said tension arm so that when a ticket portion is forced between said tension arm and said points the hook arms will be placed under tension, the hook arms when attached being disposed on the side of the portion of said ticket opposite that side thereof in which the perforations are formed, the tension arm being dis-.

posed between the two portions of the ticket,

the arcuate bends largely neutralizing the strain created when the hook arms are flexed, and being disposed in the perforations and thereby spacing the shoulders from the adjacent parts of the hook arms .f

so that the tension arm may lie snugly between the portions of said ticket7 and the shoulders forming' torsion rods when the hook arms are flexed to receive a fabric sheet.

2. In a clip tag, a symbol bearing element scored lateralljl1 to form face and back portions when' doubled, the latter portion having perforatiel'is, and a wire clip comprising a single length of spring wire bent upon itself to form a tension arm, the ends being bent outward at substantially right angles from said arm in opposite directions to form shoulders, the tension arm and shoulders fori'ning the body of the clip, the wire at the outer end of each shoulder portion being curved around and extended to form hook arms, said arms being bent into a plane approximateljlf parallel with said tension arm and having pointed hooked ends spaced from the latter a distance less than' the thickness of said symbol bearing element, said Clip and element being assembled with the hook arms of the former projecting through the perforations of the latter whereby the thickness of said element separates and thereby tensions the hook arms and causes said4 hook arms to be maintained under tension in the assembled clip tag, the face portion of said element being folded on the scoring line to a position adjacent the back of the back portion and secured in such position thereby locking the tension arm and shoulders of the wire clip between the two portions of said element, the point on each hook arm being turned toward the backportion of the said element to engage and hold goods inserted between said element and hook arms.

3. In a clip tag, a symbol bearing element scored laterally to form face and back pors1 tions when doubled, the former having perforations, and a wire clip comprising a single length of spring wire bent to form a tension arm and hook arms, the latter having hooked pointed ends, the major portion of u;

said hook arms extending approximately parallel with said tension arm and spaced therefrom the hooks being normally spaced from said tension arm a distance considerably less than the thickness of said element,

said clip and element being assembled" together with the hook arms projecting through said perforations and with the back portion of said elementI disposed between the hook arms and tension arm to spring said hook arms away from said tension arm and cause the hooked points of the latter to forcibly engage the back of the back portion of said element whereby said clip tag autoiiiatically fastens itselfto goods inserted between said hook arms and symbol bearing element.

4. In a clip tag, a symbol bearing element having perforations, and a wire clip comprising a single length of spring wire bent to form a tension arm and hook arms, the latterl having hooked pointed ends, the major portion of said hook arms extending approXimately parallel with said tension arm and spaced therefrom the hooks being normally spaced from` said tension arm a distance considerably less than the thickness of said element, said clip and element being assembled together with the hook arms projecting through said perforations and with said element disposed between said hook arms and tension arm to spring said hook arms away from said tension arm and cause the hooked points of the latter to forcibly engage the back portion of said element whereby said clip tag automatically fastens itself to goods inserted between said hook arms and symbol bearing element.

5. In a clip tag, a symbol bearing element,

and a spring wire clip having a tension arm assembled together with said element disposed between said tension arm and hook arms to spring said hook arms away from said tension arm and cause the hook points of the hook arms to forcibly engage the side of said element adjacent thereto whereby said clip tag automatically fastens itself to goods inserted between said hook arms and symbol bearing element.

ALBERT T. VAN ALSTYN. Titnesses J. F. V. CHRISTOPHER, H. D. PENNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

